This invention relates to a data processing apparatus for executing data processing according to the menu displayed on a display screen and, more particularly, to a document filing apparatus performing operations similar thereto.
In recent times, several electronic document filing apparatuses have been developed and put to practical use. A document filing apparatus converts the information, including character and pictorial information, printed on documents, into electronic document image data, and files the data in a recording medium of large memory capacity, such as an optical disk or magnetic tape.
While conventional paper filing requires the availability of a large amount of document storage space, the electronic filing apparatus requires very little space for storing optical disks or magnetic tapes. The electronic filing apparatus can edit the document image data easily, by categorizing or classifying the data into groups, and assigning a key word to each group. In addition, it can record and retrieve a number of items of data quickly and easily.
The prior art document filing apparatus can perform a variety of operations such as data retrieval, data registration or recording, data deletion. To operate the apparatus, an operator designates or selects one of the above operations, as desired, whereupon the apparatus performs the desired operation. For example, when the operator designates "data retrieval", the apparatus then operates in the data retrieval mode and, having retrieved the desired document data from the recording medium, displays and/or print it.
When the data record mode is designated, the filing apparatus scans a document or documents, reads out the document data, and records it into a recording medium. Each operation mode of the filing apparatus is composed of many hierarchy sub-modes, which implies that in any of the operation modes, a given task can be accomplished only after the sub-modes have been performed. In addition, in the prior art filing apparatus, a given task can be accomplished only by use of a specific designated operation mode. Because of this, when the apparatus completes every operation, it must set in the initial mode. Consequently, the apparatus cannot continuously operate in different modes, and its operating speed as a whole is rather low.